Fence



( No Model.)

J. 81; G. SLOAN. PBNGE.

No. 437,522. Patented se t. 30. 1890.

l J2 Elmar E HEIFlEE: 51p av g fimwmm N-Es a aw? \Nltqsg E5 NITED STATES PATENT oFmE.

JAY SLOAN AND CHARLES SLOAN, 0F HOMER, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFIGATliON forming part of Letters Patent Ala 437,522, dated September 30,1890.

Application filed October 1,1389. Serial No. 325,705. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J AY SLOAN and CHARLES SLOAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Homer, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in fences, and more especially to that class of fence known as straight board fences.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of the parts whereby a straight rail fence is constructed with the minimum expense of material and labor, and which is specially adapted for reconstructing old rail fences of other constructions such as worm rail fences-and which has the further advantage of being more lasting than the ordinary rail fences, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of fence built in accordance with our invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof,

showing more particularly the construction of the uprights and the angling-wires.

A are the rails, which may be either the usual split rail, or they'may be ofsawed lumber or board. These are placed above each other with the ends of the rails of one panel between the ends of the rails of the adjoining panels, the panels being supported by upright posts B, which in turn rest upon the transverse base-block O, which rests upon the ground, and should be large enough to form a suitable bearing to support the weight of the fence thereon, according to the nature of the soil, and to form a sure footing for the upright posts.

Near the lower end each pair of posts is connected together by a transverse binding-wire D, and to the upper end of each pair are secured anchoring-wires E, which are arranged in a novel manner, as follows: One end of each of these wires is fastened around the top of the post, leaving a sufficiently long end F, to be afterward twisted together with a single end of the other anchoring-wire between the two posts, as shown at G. After being fastened to the top of the post, we cross them to opposite sides of the fence and secure the lower ends to anchoring-pins H driven into the ground. After having thus secured the anchoring-wires, we lay the top rails of the fence in a similar manner as the other rails. If the anchoring-wires are secured sufficiently high abovethe lowe'r rails, it will be observed that two objects maybe readily accomplished: First, to apply the weight of the top rails to stretch the anchoring-wires sufficiently taut to brace the fence laterally and at the same time draw the upper ends of each part of uprights toward each other so as to bind the rails between them. After the top rails are thus secured in position, we take the ends F of the anchoring-wires and twist them together, and thus transversely connect the upper ends of the posts together, and at the same time form a wire loop on top of the top rails, which prevents the latter from being in any way displaced or carried off.

We take especial precaution to have the anchoring-pins H well secured and to prevent them from being heaved out of the ground by the frost or become quickly rotten by the exposure to the atmospheric influences above ground. We preferably, in building the fence, plow a deep furrow out at either side of the proposed line of fence. Into this furrow we drive the anchoring-pins H, and after securing the anchoring-wires thereto we again fill the furrows. By this means, with relatively short anchoring-pins, a fence very strongly braced may be constructed, while the pins are sufficiently below the influence of the frost and the atmospheric influence to be relied on for alongperiod of time. Some of the ground plowed out of the furrow may be used at the same time to form a level or raised bearing for the block under the fence-posts, whereby they are less liable to become rotten, and as the fence-posts do not enter into the ground at all, but merely rest upon the block 0, they are not liable to .decay at their lower ends, as posts are which are planted in the ground.

We are aware that it is not new to construct straight rail fences between upright posts supported in like manner, nor is it broadly new to use cross-anchoring wires, but the specific construction which we employ has merits which are not found in other constructions. Thus it will be seen that the top rails are supported independent of the lower rails. They may be placed as high as desired above the ground independent of the number of rails below. If there is a minimum of rails below there is generally a gap formed be tween the top rail and the lower rails. This gap is not of itself asource of danger in allowing animals to pass through, provided the top rail is firmly secured in place. This we accomplish in our invention by having the anchoring-Wires form the means for holding the top rails down,and this may be accomplished without the use of any more Wire than would otherwise be needed to make the anchoring- 5 wires, while at the same time the top brace being formed integrally with the anchoringwire saves labor and forms an important element in preventing the anchoring-wires from 1 becoming loose'by having the turn of wire fastened around the post slip down. By uniting the ends of the anchor-wires they areprevented from slipping down the posts, thereby 1 destroying theirusefulness as braces. If one should become loose, the other would retain f it in place, even if the top rails were removed. 3

rails, bent around the tops of the farther posts,

carried back and twisted around themselves, and their ends finally united and twisted together above the top rails, thereby securing the top rails and retaining the tops of the posts in place, substantially'as'described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of September, 1889.

JAY 'SLOAN. CHARLES SLOAN.

Witnesses:

G. W. WATROUS, PHYNN RUMSEY. 

